John Paul II Catholic School 2010-2011 Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
PTO President Amy Greely at pto@jp2.org
Opportunities for Parental Involvement
Below you will find brief descriptions of some of the Volunteer Committees and opportunities for involvement at John Paul II Catholic School. If you are interested in any of these groups, please contact the chairperson of the committee or PTO Volunteer Coordinator Julissa Rucker at julissarucker@hotmail.com
** Parent Volunteers are required by the Archdiocese to have VIRTUS training and be "volunteer approved"
Altar Society
Altar Society members serve the school by assisting the Religion Coordinator (Molly Richard) in set up and tear down of Mass. We also create and hang banners to decorate for special themes or occasions such as May Crowning. Altar Society assists with preparations for SAINT FAMILY activities throughout the school year and with delivering SERVICE PROJECT collections. We provide hospitality to the clergy and religious who visit the school on Vocations Day. Several members meet to pray the Rosary daily; all parents are invited to join us. Contact: Diana Meyers 713-785-4626 jjones206@juno.com
Ambassador Program
Volunteers for the Ambassador Program will be assigned 1 or 2 new families for the upcoming school year. Your main duty as an Ambassador is to be a source of information for the new families. It is asked that Ambassadors try to meet up with the new families during the summer so that the new students will see at least one familiar face the first few days of school. There are two functions during a school year that Ambassadors are asked to attend: the Newcomer’s Coffee in May and the Ice Cream Social in August (just before the start of the new school year). Solicitation for volunteers occurs in the spring – watch the newsletter. Contact: Annette Colgan 281-293-8451 gncolgan@comcast.net
Art a La Carte
The AALC Program is run entirely by parent volunteers who organize, schedule and present art lessons to students in grades PK – 3rd once a month. Parents work in teams to share ideas and develop fun and exciting ways to share art appreciation. Innovative methods are used to explain and explore different art technique, skill and history. Lesson plans are provided for each session, but parents have the opportunity to create their own class project to help demonstrate the technique or skill to be taught. Contact: Victoria Diermeier 832-683-4307 or randvdiermeier@comcast.net
Athletics – West Houston Christian Sports Association (WHCSA)
Volunteer as a Coach, Assistant Coach, or Team Parent for your child's soccer, basketball, or baseball/softball team, Pre-K through 6th grade. All volunteers must be VIRTUS-trained. Check the appropriate box on the registration form if you are interested. Contact: Mary Pat Donlon mdonlon@jp2.org
Athletics – GHCAA
Middle School parents are encouraged to volunteer as a Team Parent, Photo Parent, Scorekeeper/Timer, or Driver for our Middle School teams. In some cases, coaches need parents to help them during practices too. Volunteer at the Parent Meeting, or let the coach know you are interested. Volunteering in Athletics is a great way to meet other parents, participate in your child's activities, and support your school! Contact: Mary Beth Hewitt mhewitt@jp2.org
Auction Gala
John Paul II's biggest fundraiser is our annual gala. This year the theme is "Feliz Carnival, Many Voices, One Song" and promises to be an evening to remember. Saturday November 13, 2010 our school community will gather for a wonderful party with dinner, dancing and ,of course, the silent and live auctions. This evening takes a lot of preparation and there are many ways to get involved. It is a great way to meet other JPII parents. There are many areas that need assistance, and can fit into any schedule, whatever your availability The gala offers several different opportunities to earn family commitment. Any questions can be answered via the website under auction/gala information.
Birthday Recognition
Birthday T-shirts and Birthday Marquee Announcements are sold as a PTO fundraiser and as a way to recognize your child at school during his or her birthday week. A volunteer parent is responsible for keeping track of orders and making sure that the t-shirt is delivered to the school on the appropriate week and your child’s name is listed on the JPII marquee sign for the week of their birthday. The shirts may be worn on Spirit Shirt Wednesdays throughout the year. Contact Maria Do 281-394-2661 mariado93@gmail.com
Box Tops
This committee involves the collection, collation and submission of box tops found on General Mills products to be redeemed for cash and used to support school programs. A volunteer would be asked to help count and collate (which can be done AT HOME) box tops prior to the submission deadline. Contact: Jennifer Teague 281-497-7288 jthomascomcast.net
The Bread Basket
The Bread Basket is a committee assists families with their needs during a time of unexpected crisis. Meals may be delivered; children can be carpooled, whatever a family may need. If you are interested in helping with this committee, please contact Mary Royston 281-493-3980 or email breadbasket@jp2.org. If you are a family or know of a family who would benefit from our assistance, please contact breadbasket@jp2.org. Confidentiality is paramount. If you need assistance, but would like to remain anonymous, please contact Kathy Rieder at school or email krieder@jp2.org.
Community Garden
The Community Garden Coordinator plans and oversees the planting and harvest of the fall and spring garden, as well as coordinates the maintenance, fertilizing and watering of the garden. Additional responsibilities include solicitation of donations of plants and materials for the garden. If you are interested in helping with the garden, please contact Evelyn Harding (281) 752-5488 or evelyngharding@aol.com
Dad’s Club
Dads’ Club is a social group of fathers that hosts an annual golf tournament and a three-on-three basketball tournament each year. They also gather on a regular basis to shoot a few hoops in our gymnasium. In addition, John Paul II caps and blankets are available through the club.
First Friday Lunch
Join other parents in providing various meal items for the faculty and administration on the First Friday of each month. Contact Sherri Alexander 713-849-5792 or Alexander-personnel@msn.com to see how you can help.
Fun in the Sun
Come have fun and spend the day with other JPII Parents, as we work together to put on the student's favorite day of the year. Different duties to volunteer for are hosting your booth/game, working a shift at a booth, underwriting a booth, helping behind the scenes, serving lunch to staff and students. For questions please contact Annette Colgan 281-293-8451 gnacolgan@comcast.net
Hospitality
PTO provides food and servers for many events throughout the year including, but not limited to: monthly faculty meetings. Occasionally, our parents provide various snacks and dishes for each of these events as well as help with set-up and tear down. Contact: Lisa Lowe 281-372-6628 lisarlowe@gmail.com, Carol Stephens 281-493-5429 castephens@sbcglobal.net Jennifer Conti 832-242-0461 pinkmingo7@gmail.com
Library Aides
This is an opportunity to help in our school library. Volunteers could be asked to check in or check out books borrowed by students, reshelf books, help students locate items and process new books to be added to the collection. Library Aides also help during Book Fairs. Contact: Kelly Gredell (281) 952-5744 kgredell@swbell.net
Lunch Bunch
Each Friday, parents come in to supervise a lunch period (1st – 4th Grades) while the teacher gets to eat in peace and quiet. This commitment can be once a semester or once a month for about 30 minutes. It is a good way to meet your student’s classmates. Coordination is arranged through the Room Parents.
Room Parents
Room Parent responsibilities include: 1) Introductory phone calls to each family in their class, 2) Emergency phone calls for unscheduled school closings, 3) Coordination of field trip chaperones, 4) Coordination of class chaperones for teacher appreciation and teacher shopping spree days, 5) Organization of class Christmas party, 6) Coordination of Lunch Bunch volunteers (assistant room mother). Contact: for Grades PK – 5 contact Kathy Carter 281-558-0102 kmcarter2@sbcglobal.netand for Grades 6-8 contact Linda Whitson 281-597-1988 lindawhitson@att.net
Run with the Saints
Run with the Saints is a 5k run held in the neighborhood surrounding the school, in memory of a former student, Lauren Lockard who passed away due to a childhood brain tumor. The event will be held on November 7, 2009 with a start time of 8:00 am. Proceeds go to The Childhood Brain Tumor Foundation and to John Paul II Catholic School. To find out more about the race or to volunteer on race day, contact: Mary T Callahan runtrun3@hotmail.com
Several events throughout the year require volunteers: Pumpkin Patch, Holiday on the Parkway, Breakfast with Santa. Always watch the newsletter for details on how you can help with these events.